Just read - great read. I posted on a new thread for those who have read it. We may post spoilers, so dont go there if you have not read it. Saucer: A Relic from the Past: A Bridge to the Future Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! To buy, I think you go to the first post and use the dynamic link... Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly A flight of fancy and a departure from Coonts's bestselling techno-thrillers (Flight of the Intruder, etc.) pits an eager young grad student against seasoned military, government and corporate raider types for control of an ancient flying saucer dug out of a sandstone outcrop in the Sahara. Rip Cantrell is acting as gofer for a seismic survey when a glint of metal in the sand catches his eye. Aided by archeologists from a nearby dig, he unearths the ship, but the U.S. Air Force UFO team shows up followed shortly by armed thugs sent by Australian mogul Roger Hedrick. When the Libyan army appears on the scene as well, Rip and test pilot Capt. Charlotte (Charley) Pine manage to hijack the controls of the saucer, evading all their pursuers and flying to the Missouri farm of Rip's Uncle Egg, "inventor, wizard, mechanic extraordinaire." Egg cues Charley and Rip to the saucer's advanced flight capabilities, and they make decoy runs to mask their real location. But Hedrick tracks them down, and Charley is forced by a Hedrick operative to fly the saucer to the mogul's Australian ranch. Rip heads Down Under with rescue in mind when the UFO team (previously in Libyan captivity) are set free and tell all on TV, forcing Hedrick to change plans. He puts the saucer up for sale to one lucky nation, but has a sinister plan that Charley vows to disrupt. The moves get more deadly as the bidding begins, and Rip comes on the scene for a predictably spectacular ending. More Cussler than Clancy, this cartoonish slice of escapism is also more hokey than suspenseful ("But saucers do exist. There one is!"); still, it's tough to put down.
A call for quality Rip? Charley (tomboy name to emphasize her toughness)? Roger Hedrick (sounds Australian)? Of course, good old Uncle Egg, an inventor oddball who's got the insight. This sounds highly flushable. Don't take it personally, kmguru. I've read plenty of crap in my time. I'm good at it. I guess I've got other priorities now (again, no value judgment on you, kind sir). Last SF I finished were the two Hyperion books. In agreement with Haldeman's Forever War - excellent social commentary as well. May I suggest Dick, Rucker, or even Ballard? Anyone else here sick of hearing how great Heinlein is? John Le Coq
Well...if you put it that way...the story is designed for TV movies. I liked the bits and pieces like the headband communication with the computer and mainly how it takes a "village" (American humor) to maintain the society at a high technological level. It is better than a lot of crap we see on TV....
Heinlein's good, but as I said, there are plenty of other good ones out there. Perhaps I can turn the discussion to the Honor Harrinton novels by David Weber?
Teg, I agree with you about Heretics of Dune. I thought that was the highlight of the series after the first one. Overall, the series did bog down from time to time, but overall I found it rewarding. I've particularly enjoyed the prequels released the last few years (House Atriedes, House Harkonnen, etc) which I felt were in the same spirit as the original series and not just a cheap attempt to capitalize on a popular novelist. I love the epics, particularly David Wingrove's Chung Kuo series (even if he does use the word 'shuddered' like some people use 'the'), Asimov's Foundation series, and Heinlein's "Lazarus Long" stories. Outside those, I love the twisted mind of Thomas Disch, particularly "Camp Concentration"; Philip K. Dick, of which "VALIS" is my favorite, and the essays of Harlan Ellison. I also have a weakness for Cyberpunk...Gibson, Sterling, Stephenson, et al. I love it that "Neuromancer" has as of yet remained untranslatable to film. Some works of art should remain unsullied.
Have you ever read sci fi from the '30s and such? It's really fun seeing what they thought we would be using and stuff.
I've read a lot more fantasy that I DIDN'T like than DID. What I consider the "good stuff": Tolkien: The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings Roger Zelazny: the "Amber" series (10 books) Christopher Stasheff: "The Warlock in Spite of Himself" -- he wrote other books in the series but this is the only good one. Robert Jordan: The Wheel of Time series -- the 10th book has just been announced and will be released in November -- Speaking of scifi, which I no longer read much. I have to agree with some other posters. I just couldn't get through the "Dune" series. The first 2 were okay, but I got bogged down after that.
... Benford anyone?: In the Ocean of Night, Across the Sea of Suns, Great Sky River, etc. etc. etc. Niven and Pournelle. But only together. I don't dig the solo stuff. Ursula K. Le Guin. But...I read most of that a long time ago...it may be dumb. I agree with rde on the Dune issue. Only I liked the third one too. But I couldn't get through the first 20 pages of God Emperor or whatever (there was a lot of running). I'm willing to believe it's my fault but I think it's just slow.
I read (assuming you mean Brian Jacques Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!) his Ramesses series, but then got bored and moved on to other stuff. atm, I'm reading Warlock, by Wilbur Smith.
Yes, that's who I mean. Didn't have it in front of me and on names like that it's hard to spell from memory.
Gregory Benford He's done some collaboration with Bear too. And I think he was part of the new foundation books, the ones made after Asimov's death.
i must agree with what you say about the first six books which are among some of my favorites and i was wondering about getting around to reading the next ones are they that good, do you think that i would be dissapointed by them, or do you think that i could really enjoy them, being a dune book fanatic.
What????? Keith Laumer is not on the list!!!!!!!!!!! I love his Retief and BOLO stories. The Retief stories (which are very funny), in case you don't know, is about a character, Jame Retief, who works as a diplomat/spy for the Corps Diplomatique Terrestrienne, and has to protect Earth interests from the Soviet-like Groaci. He is a futuristic version of James Bond. BOLO is a series about military tanks that have sentience. JAME RETIEF IS THE MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sturgeon Nobodys mentioned Theodore Sturgeon, he's brilliant and Howard Phillip Lovecraft is probably my favorite fantasy authors
Re: book reviews I'm glad someone mentioned him he's good, I remember his Conan books. He created Conan. He also killed himself.....
Hm are you crazy? You have forgotten one of the best fantasy writers there is .. Katherine Kerr and her Deverry serie =) I agree though Robert Jordan is a great author (i love WoT) and also Orson Scott Card with his Shadow Thriology
